Never Alone
by Snow The Outcast
Summary: Shikamaru die's in a mission to the Sand Village with his team. Months later, Ino is still in shock and denial. ShikaIno OneShot


"_Shikamaru. . ." Ino whispered softly through her tears as she walked forward to the black casket before her, holding one white rose. Her tears flowed like rivers as she looked at the picture of her love on the casket. Shikamaru had died only a few hours before this funeral, on a mission with Ino and Chouji to the sand village when they were ambushed. Shikamaru was the only one to not make it, he had sacrificed himself for his team._

_Ino placed the white rose on the casket and then walked back to her place, her eyes down as the sky began to cry along side her. _

**I waited for you today  
But You didn't show  
.No.  
I needed You today  
So where did you go?  
You told me to call  
you said You'd be there  
And though I haven't seen You  
Are You still there?**

"_Call me anytime Ino, I promise to pick up!" _Shikamaru's words ran through Ino's head as she picked up her phone and dialed Shikamarus number. As she knew in her heart was going to happen, there was no answer. It had been a few months now, but it didn't matter to Ino because she refused to believe it. Shikamaru was dead, the love of her life was dead and there was nothing she could do about it.

The Ino everyone use to know, the bubbly girl that always fought with her best friend Sakura, the girl that fonded over Sasuke from a distance, that girl was gone now. Most days Ino spent in the flower shop or out on her own in the woods, and at night she spent them alone in her room with a picture of Shikamaru and her cell phone. "Shikamaru…" Ino cries, holding the picture to her heart.

**I cried out with no reply and  
I can't feel You by my side  
So I'll hold tight to what I know  
You're here and I'm never alone.**

"_Ino look out!" Shikamaru yelled as he talked the blond out of the way and onto the ground. The team was being ambushed and they had to act fast. A group of men, maybe eleven of them tops, surrounded the three kids as they worked there way to the Sand Village. Ino was the one to act first as was Chouji right after her._

_Shikamaru stayed behind to plan the attacks, helping as much as he could with kunai and shuriken. Caught off guard, Ino went flying to the ground, wounded and tired. As one man went to attack her with his last blow, Shikamaru stepped in the way, blocking the girl, "__**INO!!**__"_

**And though I can not see You  
and I can't explain why.  
Such a deep, deep reassurance  
You've placed in my life oh  
We cannot separate  
'Cause You're part of me  
and though You're invisible  
I'll trust the unseen**

Ino sat in her room, weeping as she laid there alone in the dark quiet room around her. Her cell rang and she quickly picked it up, "Shikamaru!?" she said, in hopes that it might be him. "Ino…Ino are you okay?" the voice of Chouji spoke over the phone. "Ino I'm worried, I haven't talked to you since the funeral…is everything okay?" Ino sighed and let her voice sound normal. "I-I'm okay Chouji, thank you for asking. But its late and I need to get some sleep. Maybe I'll see you soon, alright?" she said with false hope in her voice as she hung up the phone.

Ino sighed again, standing up and walking over to her dresser where a mirror laid on top. She picked up a hair brush and began to brush her now shoulder length hair softly. Her face was paler, her mascara stained her face where tears had fallen and her eyes seem to be a permanent pinkish-red. "Shikamaru…" she cried softly as she gripped the brush, "Why did you go…"

**I cried out with no reply  
And I can't feel You by my side  
So I'll hold tight to what I know  
You're here and I'm never alone**

Ino picked up the brush again and then suddenly with a loud crash, she through it at the mirror. As expected, the mirror shattered before her and some shards all along the floor. Ino began to walk back to her bed, her eyes red and tears flowing again, shards of glass going through the delicate skin on her feet. The pain only made her twitch slightly, but it didn't do much else then that. She laid on her bed, holding onto the cell phone under her pillow and the picture of Shikamaru at her bed side.

"Shikamaru…take me away from here…..take me with you…" she whispered into the darkness that surrounded her as she closed her eyes.

**We cannot separate  
You're part of me  
and though You're invisible  
I'll trust the unseen**

"Ino, Ino are you awake?" Sakura said as she walked into Ino's room and then over to her bed side. Sakura picked up Ino's wrist and held her two fingers to where her pulse should be. Sakura's eyes widened in shock and horror as she ran out of the room screaming for help, "Lady Tsunade!"

**I cried out with no reply  
and I can't feel You by my side  
So I'll hold tight to what I know  
You're here and I'm never alone**

"_Shikamaru, when I die, promise you'll come after me?" Ino said softly as she looked up at the stars with her lover. Shikamaru turned to look at her and smiled, moving a strand of hair out of her face, "I'll come get you if I die first, how's that?" Ino smiled and pulled herself closer to him, nodding her head._

"_Okay, that's a promise."_


End file.
